Заводь - Ягна (2011)

Band: Заводь
Country: Kharkiv, Ukraine
Style: Blackened Punk
Label: Independent

Since first discovering Заводь earlier this year, I have become a big advocate of them. Their EP that came out pretty early in the year really got my attention and then their split with Axidance, for which my review was deleted by Blogspot during updates, really made me into a fan. I was not expecting another release, let alone a full-length, from this band this year, but lest to say, I was definitely excited to find it.
In every release thus far from the band, it must be known that they've improved on all fronts. In terms of production, from even the EP that was released earlier this year, the production is much cleaner, the music is a bit more melodic, and the vocals are less black metal and more screamo and hardcore-esque. Previous releases from the band has been a bit more raw and aggressive, very primitive, even while they continued to grow, but this album shows probably the biggest leap, in terms of quality, I've heard from the band yet. The songs on here are arguably the band's most melodic yet, and while that might not sit well with some people, these are without a doubt the most memorable songs the band has written yet. Besides that, these songs are just really fun to listen to, the second half of Колопола in particular just put a grin on my face every single time I listened to it.
One of the things I've come to love about this band is that on all of their recordings, it sounds like a band playing live, albeit a bit cleaner than a rehearsal room recording. Every one of the four musicians on here can be heard clearly in the mix and it really plays a role into them being a four piece that every member helps to make these songs as good as they are. When I said this sounds like a real band playing I meant it, you can clearly hear vocal cracks on a couple of these songs, and that sort of thing adds a bit of a charm to the recording that you don't get from ultra polished releases. This album also has some of the band's most diverse material yet, with clear nods to other genres including folk and post-punk. I also love how the band just go into some really dissonant and chaotic passages that wouldn't be unheard of in a noise rock song, hear Голоса. Don't get me wrong, the band's sound is still heavily rooted in black metal and hardcore punk, but these songs are less in-your-face, more stick-in-your-head types of songs. You still have plenty of fast, short, and aggressive songs on here, like opener Проклятие for example, that recall a bit more of the band's older material, but even songs like those that are a bit more simple-minded in their approach are still the best the band have written to date.
This is a great album that demonstrates this band at their definitive peak as of right now and with every member firing on all cylinders in their respective roles. While I was a fan of the band, I never expected this great a leap in quality from them so soon. Definitely check this band out if you want to hear some fantastic blackened punk that knows how to write good songs.
Overall Score: 9
Highlights: Колопола, Гори, Гори, Гори, Утро